Afghan guard kills Nepalese colleague at Kabul UN compound

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — An Afghan guard turned his gun on colleagues on Friday, killing a Nepalese guard and wounding another at a U.N. compound in Kabul, an official said. The U.N. says a staff member working with the U.N. mission in Afghanistan was also lightly wounded in the incident.

Hassib Sediqi, acting spokesman for the National Directorate of Security as Afghanistan's intelligence agency is known, said the violence happened at a construction site that is part of the U.N. compound. It was not immediately clear if the attack was planned or the result of a disagreement, Sediqi said.

A third Nepalese guard was injured when he jumped off the building that was under construction and where the incident happened, Sediqi added.

The site is next to the International Organization for Migration and opposite buildings the U.N. Assistance Mission for Afghanistan. Many international agencies and embassies employ Nepalese security guards.

The circumstances around this tragic incident are still being investigated, said the U.N. mission in Afghanistan. UNAMA said it extends its condolences to the family of the victim and wished the mission colleague a speedy recovery.

The incident comes a day after an Afghan policeman killed eight colleagues in what's known as an "insider attack" in the volatile southern Zabul province. The Taliban claimed responsibility for that attack.

The perpetrator escaped the scene in Qalat, the provincial capital, taking weapons and vehicles with him, said Ghulam Jalani Farahi, the provincial deputy police chief.

Taliban spokesman Qari Yousaf later said the insurgent group was behind the attack and that the shooter had joined the insurgents.

Insider attacks are commonplace among Afghanistan's security forces, often carried out by insurgent infiltrators. Two members of the international military stationed at Kandahar Airfield were shot dead by Afghan colleagues earlier this month. Both were members of Romania's special forces.

Last September, at least one U.S. serviceman was killed when an Afghan solider opened fire on a group of American troops in the eastern city of Jalalabad. That attack was claimed by the militant Hezb-i-Islami group, which this week finalized a peace agreement with the Kabul government, expected to be signed in coming weeks.

Afghanistan's war against the Taliban, who are trying to overthrow the Kabul government, is now in its 15th year. The Taliban have said they will not enter a peace dialogue with the Afghan government.